1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to accelerometers. More specifically, the invention is a single-axis accelerometer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional accelerometers generally utilize a pendulum's movement or a piezoelectric material to sense acceleration. Pendulum-based accelerometers are relatively large and expensive. Piezoelectric-based accelerometers are traditionally made from ceramic materials such as barium titanate (BaTiO3) or lead titanate (PZT). However, these materials are inherently brittle, have a tendency to be noisy, have difficulty sensing low frequencies, and are subject to static charge build-up that affects polarization. Still further, piezoelectric materials used in “micro electro-mechanical machine system” (MEMS) accelerometers behave as a spring system that generates noise requiring compensation.